Technology analysis of the latest gadgets, consoles, and computer architectures.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Celio Redfly and its Reminiscence Effect

The Celio Redfly is a netbook-shaped Windows Mobile extension device that provides a Windows Mobile smartphone user an 8" screen, full keyboard, and touchpad in a light-weight, portable form-factor.



This device lacks a mass storage device and notable processing capabilities; instead, it relies on a Bluetooth or USB connection to a Windows Mobile smartphone to provide the processing power and storage. Thie device essentially provides a Windows Mobile user with a larger screen and keyboard, similar to how a docking station provides a laptop user with access to desktop accessories.

The true qualm I have with this device, however, is that it sounds fairly similar to a design I created close to 5 years ago. I will have to consult certain parties to find out if the drawings are still available somewhere, but the basic jist is the following:

Imagine having a tablet PC but without a mass storage device or CPU; instead, it has enough space and a dock connector to house and interface with a PDA. I envisioned that one day, one would prefer to carry around his/her personal computer in a pocket or purse, hence providing immediate access to personal files and e-mail, etc. As PDA users can relate, although it is convenient to carry a personal device in one's pocket, it is very encombersome to attempt to use such a device for reading literature, browsing the web, or writing a story. As a result, one may choose to carry a laptop around, which adds significant weight to one's baggage. Instead, it would be great to just carry around the PDA only when weight and space is an issue, and use the PDA-extension when a larger screen, keyboard, and additional ports are needed.

Hopefully soon I will be able to post either the original drawing or a new mock-up of it. If anyone finds a prior art or patent on this, let me know :D